Conventional secondary battery modules are designed such that a plurality of cells is connected in series or in parallel and outputs predetermined voltage. The performance of each cell affects the performance of the battery module, largely, the performance of a battery pack coupled with the battery module. Thus, voltage or current of each battery cell is to be measured in order to measure the performance of each battery cell. To this end, a current measuring module is mounted within the secondary battery module to measure the voltage or the current.
Electrical signals gathered by the current measuring module are transferred to a battery management system (BMS) through an external output terminal, and are used to measure the performance of each cell. In such a system, a cell is directly connected to the BMS in which cells manage all of the batteries.
Abnormal chemical reactions or external impact forces may cause overcurrent and overvoltage in a cell. In these cases, the overcurrent and the overvoltage may affect the BMS directly connected to cells, thereby leading to damage the BMS.
To prevent damage to the BMS, there is a need for a method that can protect the entire system from a malfunctioning operation of a battery, such as overcurrent and overvoltage occurring in a battery cell, by providing a protection circuit module.